Obama`s press secretary, Jay Carney, said in a statement that the president made clear his position on the matter in a White House meeting with Lavrov.
Russia and NATO on Monday failed to narrow their differences over the Western air campaign in Libya, as alliance warplanes stepped up their bombing of regime targets.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused NATO of interpreting a UN resolution any way it wished, after talks with NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen that showed up differences rather than secure any agreement on a solution.
The scheduled NATO-Russia Council meeting in the Black Sea city of Sochi was joined at the last minute by South African President Jacob Zuma, fresh from an African Union summit that tried to forge a regional peace plan to end the conflict.
"So far, there is no common understanding over how the resolution is being implemented," Lavrov said, referring to the UN Security Council resolution that paved the way for the air campaign.
"We want this resolution to be fulfilled literally, without expanding its interpretation."
Russia abstained in the resolution vote at the Security Council but has since expressed growing anger over the duration and intensity of the strikes against targets of Moamer Kadhafi`s Libyan regime.
Last week Russia was particularly angered by a direct French arms drop to rebels fighting Kadhafi`s forces.
But Rasmussen vehemently defended the arms drop which he said was in line with the resolution.
"The delivery of weapons has taken place as part of protection of civilians and the ability to protect themselves against attacks," he told reporters.
Libyan officials on Monday said they had intercepted two boats west of Tripoli loaded with Qatari weapons bound for the rebels. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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